James Orefice

Another visit to the farm fields (see here for original posting) brought some more good finds, including several pre-Civil War flat buttons, a large Zouave ball button, and miscellaneous lead shot, from musket balls to 2-ring bullets.

On my third field hunt in the South NJ area, I concentrated on a roughly 50 square foot area that I had not explored previously. About an hour into it, walking in a straight line so as to grid the target area, I got a good signal ringing on my machine in the high 70s. It … Continue reading »

I returned for a second scouring of the late-1800s house built on the foundation of a 1740s-era house (see an account of the initial trip here) and made some more period finds, including a large concave button with what appears to be an “S” on the front; two colonial shoe buckles (one with chape intact, … Continue reading »

On a recent trip to explore the more rural parts of Southern NJ, I got lost trying to find one particular out-of-the-way colonial structure. Though I had GPS via my phone, apparently the area was so rural that even modern technology couldn’t accurately assist me in finding my way. Intent on reaching my destination nonetheless, … Continue reading »

As my brother and his partner were house-hunting in the Northern NJ/Southern NY area, their main preference was a historic home that they could refurbish to its original grandeur in a structural sense, while fashioning it with more modern amenities and conveniences. Knowing full well that I would get exclusive access to metal detect their … Continue reading »

I recently got out for a quick hunt at a local circa 1743 house that I’ve detected countless times over the last year. I have a nice relationship with the owners and they have afforded me an endless welcome mat to return whenever I’d like. Having scoured this property very thoroughly (with many nice colonial … Continue reading »

This past Friday I traveled to Piermont, NY, to detect a property for which my brother had acquired permission. While my brother does not share my interest in metal detecting, he is a great advocate and supporter of mine and is equally interested to see the items that I find. Before we traveled to the … Continue reading »

With my birthday hovering over me, and no choice but to accept being another year removed from my youth, I could not but focus instead on all that gives me happiness. For me, it’s always first, foremost, and in very large part, my family—a wife I adore and kids that make me immensely proud. It’s … Continue reading »

At dawn one May Saturday, I headed out for my 3rd hunt at a local church property. Last fall I had received permission to scour the property adjacent to my church, where an 1830s farmhouse once stood. On two previous hunts here, I’d found some interesting items (see here and here) in only a small … Continue reading »

December saw me return to the 1743 property and it yielded some choice finds. I also made my second visit to the 1830s church property to explore the site further (see my November finds post for more from that site). That property is so dense with signals that it will take me a while to … Continue reading »